======================================================================== Nib Noise Volume 2 Number 12 ======================================================================== Welcome to Nib Noise. This newsletter is a joint effort of Richard Binder and Don Fluckinger. We hope you'll enjoy reading this month's issue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Thanks for Your Support! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is the 24th regular monthly issue of Nib Noise. That's two years, and it's all your fault. If you hadn't encouraged us by subscribing, and by writing to tell us how you like what we're doing, we'd have given up a long time ago. But it's been fun, and it will continue to be fun, and we'd like to thank you. This issue contains two extra-special feature articles. We hope you'll enjoy them! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Limited Engagement! A Honey of a Pen *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have a very limited suppply of the new Pelikan M400 "Honey" pens. These pens have custom reground 2-tone 14K gold nibs in your choice of nib styles; I am not offering them with stock nibs. Check them out: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_txt.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Return of a Classic *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Remember the first pens I ever offered with preground custom nibs? They were Waterman Phileas pens, in green. Last month I said I'd ordered some of these great low-priced pens, with nice broad nibs, to be available in Red, Green, or Blue, with your choice of 0.8-mm stub or 0.9-mm cursive italic nibs. Well, they did arrive, and they're now available through my site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_txt.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Customized Pelikan M150 Pens *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I keep ordering more Pelikan M150 pens because you keep buying them. Great pens, aren't they! I have them in Burgundy, Black, Green, or Gray with your choice of customized nib, either 0.9-mm cursive italic or 0.6-mm stub. My supplier likes to throw in a little surprise from time to time, and I now have several pens with green barrels and black caps and blind caps. I think they're pretty sharp looking, more like one of the bigger Pelikans. If you want one of these, just make a note when you place your order. Note: M150 pens cannot use M200 nibs. I continue to receive queries about how big an M150 is. It's a smallish pen, almost exactly the same size as an Esterbrook SJ. To show you just how big it is, I've addn to my site an image showing an Esterbrook J, a Pelikan M200, an Esterbrook SJ, and a Pelikan M150. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Customized Pelikan Nibs for Your Own Pens *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ And don't forget my wide selection of customized M200 nibs that will fit all M2xx, M4xx, and M6xx pens (including the M620 City Series, M700 Toledo, and Originals of Their Time limited editions). Check them out: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_txt.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Going, Going, Gone! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is the last time I'll be offering my 2004 Sheaffer pen calendars. Miss out now, and you'll have to wait for the 2005 edition! Each page of this year's calendar features a full-color photo of a Sheaffer pen, a witty bit of writing (not mine!), and "mini-months" to help you plan last month's activities (or next month's) at a glance. The calendar is 8-2/1" x 11", and it'll look great on the wall of your den or office. Check out this and all of my other accessories on my Web site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=acc_txt.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Broad Strokes" by Richard Binder ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Those great Sheaffer Vacuum-Fil plunger pens of the 1930s and 1940s have an amazing ink capacity, and they fill in one powerful downstroke. How do they do it? In response to reader demand, I've created a new page in my "Anatomy of a Fountain Pen" series. See how the Vacuum-Fil works -- and learn who really invented it: http://www.richardspens.com/?anatomy=vacfil ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Extra Fine Points" by Don Fluckinger ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A reader asks for a Wearever article, and upon further review the author realizes that it's not only worth the time and space to do the piece... but there's some good-looking celluloid from the oft-maligned 20th- century penmaker out there. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=extrafine/xf0403.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pens for Sale ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I've prepared a new batch of pens for you, including a nice modern German pen with a 14K custom 0.6-mm stub nib. Please check them out! Pens are graded according to the following condition scale. Within a grade, I use + or - to indicate shades of variation; for example, a pen that is B+ falls into the B grade and shows so little use that it is only marginally not A2. Condition Description A1 Mint (uninked). Shows no signs of use. A2 Mint (inked). As for A1 but may have been dipped or inked. N New Old Stock (NOS). Unsold dealer or manufacturer stock. Not dipped or inked but may show shop wear. B Excellent. All parts original and showing only very slight signs of use. Very slight surface scratching; very minor discoloration or brassing; crisp imprints; no significant dings. C Fine. All parts original. Some discoloration and brassing; light or worn imprints; small dings to metal or scratching on plastic. D Fair. Some parts possibly not original; significant brassing or discoloration; very worn imprints; dings and scratches. Maybe a good writing pen or usable for parts. Esterbrook ---------- 1944/1945 Blue single-jewel J, period-correct 2968 nib with flat serrated feed. Condition: B+. Price: $65.00 Copper LJ, NOS 9555 nib. Condition: B+. Price: $45.00 Red J, 1555 nib. Condition: B-. Price: $38.00 Foliage Green J, NOS 1555 nib. Condition: B. Price: $45.00 Red SJ, 9550 nib. Condition: B. Price: $35.00 Esterbrooks for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_est.htm Parker ------ Midnight Blue aerometric "51" Mark I, 1/10 12K Converging Lines GF cap, M nib. Condition: B+. Price: $135.00 India Black Vacumatic-filling "51", Lustraloy cap, M nib. Condition: B+. Price: $135.00 Parkers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_pkr.htm Sheaffer -------- 1935 Green and Gold "spaghetti" celluloid lever-filling Vacuum-Fil, XF Sheaffer's 5-30 nib. Condition: B. Price: $100.00 Pearl Gray striated slender Lifetime Balance, streamlined clip, 2-tone Lifetime F/XF ball-point nib. Condition: B-. Price: $75.00 Sheaffers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_she.htm Other ----- Modern Reform silver laque C/C filler, 14K custom Binder 0.6-mm stub nib. Condition: A2. Price: $75.00 Liberty 1/10 18K GF overlay, Warranted 14K No. 2 F nib. Condition: B. Price: $125.00 Others for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_oth.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In the Reader's Corner ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My site's Reader's Corner features a monthly pick, a book that I like and think that you might enjoy, too. For the collector who wants a brief but comprehensive overview of the wide variety of pens and pen-related collectibles out there, this month's pick is a sure hit: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=acc_txt.htm#readerscorner My monthly pick also appears as a link on my welcome page. ======================================================================== If you received this newsletter from Richard Binder, you are a subscriber. If not, you can subscribe by sending a mail message to richard@richardspens.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, or by clicking on this link: mailto:richard@richardspens.com?subject=SUBSCRIBE To unsubscribe from this newsletter, send a mail message to richard@richardspens.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line, or click on this link: mailto:richard@richardspens.com?subject=UNSUBSCRIBE Note: We will never sell your name or email address. Your privacy is as important to us as it is to you.